Cold castaway, warm embrace

A grey September afternoon brought a small group for a special behind-the-scenes visit with Assiniboine Park Zoo's newest resident – a polar bear cub. Animal-care specialist Caitlin Gordon-Hall called out to the cub, who emerged from his enclosure to investigate the humans. The cub, nearly 200 pounds and 10 or 11 months old, was guarded in his curiosity.

Though objectively cute, his natural instincts remained intact, as evidenced by the low growl he emitted. In the wild, his mother would have taught him survival skills, but that was not the case. The cub, an orphan, spent his days roaming the tundra near Churchill before arriving at the zoo in August. His relearning process was intense, and today's visit aimed at desensitizing him to the zoo's crowds.

Polar bears in the face of climate change have become increasingly frequent visitors to human settlements, often resulting in unfortunate encounters. Life in a zoo is an imperfect solution, but it ensures the bear's survival. The last orphaned cub from Churchill arrived in Winnipeg nine years ago, sparking both excitement and concern.

Kelsey Eliasson, a Churchill polar bear guide and filmmaker, recounted the cub's mother, Blanca, who was found dead in mid-August, leaving her cub alone. Blanca was healthy, but the cause of her death remains unknown. The Manitoba government's Polar Bear Protection Act regulates the care and treatment of polar bears in captivity, ensuring their welfare and preventing exploitation.